Honeysuckle and Lilies
by BetaWolfSis
Summary: Katie gets pranks, nightmares, and Willow receives a letter. It all goes spiraling down. Tratie (sorry, I suck at summaries) Enjoy, hopefully!
1. Chapter 1: Nightmares

**Hey guys! So after my first fic, I was like, **_**well, maybe we should slow down with the drama and angst here. **_**There might be a teeny bit here, but not as much, thank Gods.**

**As I said in the summary, this'll be a Tratie fic, because I'm a huge fan of these two cuties ^-^ Hope you like it. It takes place after the Battle of the Labyrinth, so Katie is scared of losing her loved ones in the Titan war, which will explain this chapter. Katie and Travis will both be around 15, 16.**

**Disclaimer:**** Ok guys, one of you please…?**

**Katie: I will! Wave does NOT own Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus, nor any one of us! We belong to Uncle Rick.**

**Wave: Unfortunately. I'll warn you guys when I do.**

**Katie: She only owns my sweet little sister, Juliet. That girl is adorable :)**

**Wave: I know. Oh, and this chapter is dedicated to ****Greysouthpaw****, who was my first reviewer and gave me a good piece of advice. Thanks Grey, you're awesome ^-^**

**Ok I'll stop now. Enjoy guys!**

She had walked out of her cabin, for once not the calm and gentle girl everyone knew, but looking furious, her cheeks red and her hair a soft grass green. No one dared to ask about the colour.

She stalked over to the Hermes cabin. Why oh why couldn't he leave her alone? He had the _whole camp_ to prank, but no, it just _had _to be her. He'd pranked her lots of times before, but she'd always taken it kindly and sweetly, not saying a thing. But this was just _too much_. Green hair? Seriously?

_There, _she thought, _I hope he's happy. He managed to make me mad. _And the Gods knew that her getting mad was a _very _rare thing. _What does he want anyway?_

She opened the door to the Hermes cabin, ignoring the cries of protest from the campers who hurried off to put their things away. She found Travis lounging on his bed, watching her approach with an amused glint in his eyes. His beautiful eyes…

_Don't get sidetracked, _she told herself. _ You are NOT attracted to him!_

_ But…_

_ No 'but's, Katie. Enough already!_

"Yes, Katie-Cat?"

_Aww, it's so cute when he calls me that!_

_ No, it's not! Now stop it, I'm trying to concentrate here!_

"Don't call me that." Katie said through clenched teeth.

"Sure, Katie-Cat. Nice hair, by the way," Travis teased. Katie narrowed her eyes at him.

"What do you want anyways?" she asked. A surprised look came over his face.

"I absolutely don't see what you mean," he answered.

"Why do you keep pranking me? You have the whole camp, and it has to be me?"

"It's fun," he said, smiling. "You don't react."

"I don't believe you," she looked at him suspiciously. Travis sighed.

"Your choice," he said. "Now, do you mind? I just came back from the lake. I have to finish getting dressed…" He pointed to himself.

Katie blushed when she saw he was shirtless.

_Wow. He's got some nice muscles. And abs. Wow._

_Oh, so who's getting sidetracked now?_

_Shut up!_

She blushed even harder when she realized she was staring.

"Enjoying the show?" Travis smirked.

"You wish," she mumbled. And with that, she walked away.

Katie was running. She didn't know from who or what, she just knew that she shouldn't stop. She was in a forest, but for some reason, all the trees were dead and the ground was cracked and dry. The sky was bloody red. She desperately wanted to stop to catch her breath and bring the trees back to life, but she knew she had to keep running. So she did. Thorns scratches her arms and her bare feet scraped on the pointy rocks. The trees got scarce and a crater loomed into view.

She stumbled and almost fell into it, but someone caught her. She struggled, but the arms held her tightly. She screamed, and a hand covered her mouth.

"Tut, tut, tut, none of that," a low voice whispered into her ear. "I have something for you. Look, little demigod."

The air in front of her shimmered, and she saw her father in a plane. There was a shudder and a loud BANG. People panicked and got out of their seat and hostesses were running around, trying to calm them down. There was an explosion, and the plane went down in flames. Crashed onto the hard ground. Katie gasped.

"NO!" she screamed.

The air shimmered again, and a different image appeared in front of her. This time, demigods were fighting monsters. And the demigods were falling like flies. Already there were bodies on the floor. Miranda. Lou Ellen, her best friend. Travis. Silena. Juliet. Others she barely knew.

Tears flowed down her face. This was a nightmare. It _had_ to be. Her head spun, the voice laughed. The air was thick, suffocating her. Thunder rumbled. The wind howled. Katie's vision got blurry. She struggled and stumbled again, the arms letting go of her, and she fell into the crater. Her world went black.

Katie woke up, sweaty and trashing in her bed. Everyone in her cabin was asleep. Swinging her legs out of her bunk, she put her cold feet on the floor and shakily stood up. She looked over to Miranda's bunk, then to Juliet's, and she breathed a sigh of relief. They were both there, still alive. She could even hear Miranda's light snoring. Black spots danced in front of her eyes and she suddenly felt a desperate need for air.

She tiptoed outside. The air was warm, with a slight breeze, and she took in great gulps of oxygen. The moon was almost full, and the faraway sound of the waves lapping onto the beach was soothing.

A hand touched her shoulder and her nightmare bloomed back into her mind. She screamed and another hand clasped itself firmly on her mouth. She kept struggling.

"Stop it, Katie-Cat!" a voice hissed in her ear. "It's me! Calm down!"

She froze and turned around. It was Travis. Her fear turned into anger and she started hitting his chest, crying. As though the blows were nothing to him, Travis grabbed Katie's hands and pulled her to him. She collapsed on to his chest and sobbed into his shirt.

Travis hugged her close and whispered comforting words into her ear, soothingly petting her hair. Gradually she calmed down and stopped sobbing, but her green eyes were still red and puffy. He looked down at her.

"Nightmare?" he asked quietly.

Katie nodded wordlessly and a tear slid down her cheek.

"Hey, it's ok," Travis whispered. "You're fine now."

Katie shuddered and clutched Travis like a life boat, his arms still around her, rubbing her back as they sat on the steps of the Demeter cabin.

For a while they sat there, not saying a word, until Travis heard Katie's breathing slowing and steadying. She had fallen asleep, still huddled against his chest. Not wanting to wake her up, he took her in his arms. She was surprisingly light. Travis walked back inside the Demeter cabin and put Katie back on her bed, pulling the sheets back over her. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, her eyes closed and her breathing slow, her long lashes brushing against her cheeks as a soft summer breeze wafted in the room through the open windows. The only unsettling things about her were the tear tracks on her face.

_She's so cute_, Travis thought.

He brushed her tangled brown hair back and kissed her forehead. She smelled of honeysuckle and lilies.

One of Katie's siblings mumbled in his sleep and Travis quickly backed off, not wanting to be caught, and he walked out, closing the door softly behind him.

**That was ok. I really hope you guys liked it, because I'm not that used to writing ^-^ Please review! I appreciate constructive criticism! Also, feel free to follow/Favorite ;)**

**Katie: Whoa, whoa, what was THAT?**

**Wave: *frantically tries to hide story* Umm… Katie, you weren't supposed to read this. **

**Katie: What… What kind of prank was that? I like my hair the way it is, thank you. What kind of nightmare in the history of nightmares was this? And…did Travis just… kiss my forehead? **

**Wave: *smirks* Try not to fangirl, Katie.**

**Katie: *blushes* Whaaaa…? Why was he outside at night anyways?**

**Wave: Oh well, you'll just have to ask him in the next chapter. *laughs***

**Travis: What will she have to ask me? **

**Katie: Nothing, nothing! *glares at Wave* Don't you dare tell him anything!**

**Wave: *whines* GUYS, I'm trying to finish this, alright?**

**I'll try to update soon! **

**Yours in demigodishness, **

Wave ~


	2. Chapter 2: Rock-climbing

**Hey guys! I'm back, finally. I'm quite happy with my updating time, actually. I hope I didn't make you wait too long ^-^ **

**First off I would like to thank** _**AshGray1878 **_**and **_**heartofglass99**_ **for your wonderful reviews and **_**Forever Forgotten01, frostflake221, AshGray1878, **_**and **_**heartofglass99**_ **who followed. Thank you guys so much, it really means a lot to me!**

**AshGray1878: Nope, see? Thanks, and I really hope you like this chapter ;)**

**heartofglass99: Thanks, I love Tratie so much too! I hope this is soon enough for you ^-^**

Ok, I'll get right down to it then

**Disclaimer:**

**Wave: Ok Travis, your turn to do it.**

**Travis: *sighs* fine. Wave does not own Percy Jackson or us, Rick Riordan does. Happy?**

**Wave: Travis, you forgot Juliet.**

**Travis: Oh the lil' cutie? Yeah, Wave owns her and Willow. Can I go now?**

**Wave: Yes, go ahead. This chapter is dedicated to AllIAskIsATallShip because she/he is my second reviewer! Hopefully he/she is reading this ^-^ And with that, let's get down to it!**

**Enjoy! :)**

Sunlight streamed through the windows. Katie's eyelids fluttered and she sat up, yawning and rubbing sleep from her eyes.

Looking at her clock, she realized she still had a lot of time before breakfast. She took a warm shower, got dressed, and, being the head counselor, she woke her siblings.

"It's 7:40, guys! Fifty minutes 'till breakfast! Wake up!"

The eldest of her siblings slowly got out of bed and all started shuffling around, looking for their clothes or going to the showers.

Katie took it upon her to coax her younger brothers and sisters out. She woke Willow, then bent down to her eight-year-old half-sister Juliet. Juliet had arrived two days ago, tired but thankfully unharmed. Her chaperone, a satyr named Thlayli, had not been so lucky and was now in the Infirmary, recovering from some nasty hellhound wounds. Juliet had been terrified, but was claimed the night she arrived, and Katie had immediately taken her big sister role. She was already deeply attached to the little girl.

Her heart clenched as she watched Juliet sleeping blissfully, her blond curls scattered on the pillow and she remembered the previous night. Quickly pushing the images out of her mind, she whispered:

"Juliet. Juliet."

Her sister moaned and curled up underneath the covers. Katie smiled and shook the girl softly.

"Juliet, it's time to wake up, sweetheart."

Juliet opened a bleary soft brown eye and looked at Katie.

"Please, Katie, can I have more time?" she did her cute lost-puppy eyes, and Katie felt herself melt. She looked at the time. 7:50.

"Ok, just ten minutes then," she told the girl.

Katie got up and woke the ones who were still asleep, then got Juliet out of bed.

"Hey, Katie!"

Katie turned around to see her sister Miranda grinning at her. Miranda was about the same age as her, with long strawberry blonde hair and dark brown eyes, and the girls were very close.

"Hey Mir! Sleep well?" Katie asked with a smile.

"Yeah! It's not too warm, perfect sleeping temperature. You?"

"Yup!" Katie answered cheerfully.

She didn't want to ruin her sister's good mood.

_I'll tell her later_, she thought. _If she asks again._

At 8:20 she brought her siblings down to the dining pavilion for breakfast. It started at 8:30, but she liked being early, as there weren't a lot of people yet. The Athena kids were already there, punctual as usual, and so were the Apollo kids, who woke at around the time the sun rose, or so Michael Yew had told her. It explained why they were always late during winter.

* * *

"Ok guys," Katie told her brothers and sisters after breakfast, "This morning we get to go to the rock-climbing wall."

There were a few groans.

"With the Hermes cabin," Katie added.

More groans.

"What did I say about positive attitude? It's not that bad, guys. Make sure you check your pockets, though. Let's go!"

Katie smiled as she led her cabin to the wall. The Hermes kids weren't there yet and Katie decided not to wait for them. Miranda started climbing and Willow went after her. When she was at the middle of the wall, the Hermes cabin arrived. It was Juliet's turn, and she tugged Katie's arm.

"Katie, I don't want to go," she whined softly.

Katie crouched down to the younger girl's height.

"It'll be fine," she smiled at Juliet. "I'll come with you, okay? I promised I'll catch you."

Juliet nodded, and they started climbing slowly.

"You're doing great, sweetie!" Katie called as Juliet tried to find a handhold and Katie tried to not get crushed by a rock tumbling down from her left.

A few seconds later, there was a rumble and lava shot out to Juliet's right. The girl screamed and let go, and Katie scrambled around to catch her.

"I'm right here, don't worry," she told her trembling sister. "I promised I'd catch you, didn't I? We're gonna continue a bit, alright? You can do this. I know you can."

Juliet took a deep breath and found hand and footholds to keep climbing.

After a while, they arrived at the middle with no further incidents, and Katie congratulated Juliet.

"You might want to go back down now. You've done a lot already. Mir!" she called to her sister who was coming down towards them.

"Yeah?" Miranda called back.

"Can you take Juliet down with you please?" Katie asked.

"Sure thing!" Miranda grinned. "Come on squirt," she told a smiling Juliet, "Let's go!"

"Thanks." And with that Katie continued climbing.

She was nearing the top when lava flowed down towards her. She quickly found other holds, but her foot slipped and she let go of her handholds. For a brief moment, she fell, until and arm caught her waist.

"I seem to be catching you a lot these days," Travis said, grinning down at her.

Katie blushed and smiled, mumbling a quick thanks before regaining her balance and climbing upwards once more. She arrived at the top and turned to Travis who was right behind her.

"Thanks," she told him.

"I was just returning the favor you did to Juliet," he answered.

"Not just that. I was also talking about yesterday night."

Travis scratched his neck.

"Oh, that. Well, you know, demigods and nightmares…" he trailed off.

"Yeah, I know," Katie answered.

There was a short silence.

"Was it a very bad one? 'Cuz to put you in such a state…" Travis asked.

Katie's chest tightened.

"Oh… you know. My friends and my family dying. The usual these days," she stated.

"Wait, you mean that people always _die _in your dreams?" Travis asked, baffled.

Katie looked up at him and nodded, her throat constricted with unshed tears. Travis did the unexpected. He opened his arms, and after a second of hesitation, Katie huddled close to him as he hugged her. She let out a shaky breath.

"I feel like a little girl again," she mumbled against his chest. "Falling from the wall, being hugged. But it doesn't feel that bad."

Travis laughed. She looked up at him suspiciously.

"What were you doing out there at night anyways? Thieving?" she asked him.

He pretended to be offended.

"Me?" he asked. "Thieving? No way! I couldn't sleep, so I went outside to-"

"Sneak around."

"-get some fresh air, and I saw you. I just wanted to ask what a goody-two-shoe like you was doing out there in the middle of the night." Travis said simply.

"I'm not a goody-two-shoe!" Katie exclaimed, but she was smiling.

Travis grinned.

"Katie!" Miranda called from all the way down.

"Maybe we should go down," Katie told Travis.

He nodded.

"Thanks," she said again. "For everything"

She stood on her tiptoes and softly kissed his cheek. Her lips felt like butterfly wings. She turned back, blushing a deep red, and started scaling the wall downwards.

Travis stood there stunned for a moment. Then a smile brightened his features. She had kissed his cheek. She had _kissed_ his cheek! And he hadn't even had to ask!

"Wow." He whispered

**Meh. I'm pretty satisfied with this chapter. Maybe not the ending, but I think it's ok. Please review, and feel free to follow/favorite! ;)**

**Katie: OK, what did I do NOW?**

**Travis: Wow.**

**Wave: *laughing* Travis, you can come back to life now!**

**Katie: Um… *blushes* I think I'm gonna go now. *tries to leave but Wave catches her***

**Wave: Don't worry; I'll let you go after you tell my wonderful readers to…**

**Katie: *quickly* Press the review button, please, so she can let me go!**

**Wave: Hope you enjoyed, and I'll try to update soon!**

**Yours in demigodishness, **

Wave ~


	3. Chapter 3: Revelations

***Sheepish smile as she walks into the room* Hey Guys! I'm back! I'm so, so, soooo sorry for the long update time, this took a while to write, I wasn't really sure about how to put it. Also, I was at ski camp for the vacations, which meant no WiFi. But it's here! I know it's really short, but I thought I would give you this so the wait wouldn't be AS long. The rest should follow suit ^-^**

**First off, I'd like to thank **_**Annabeth616 **_**and **_**LyraEvans**_** who followed! Also thank you to those who reviewed, it makes me happy ^-^**

**heartofglass99: I KNOW!**

**Annabeth616: Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it ^-^**

**Guest: Thank you so much! It really means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy this one, and that I didn't make you wait too long ;)**

**IronFistRocks: *squeal* THANK YOU! Yeah, I think he'd do anything for her. He can be immature, but he's definitely not heartless. Especially when it comes to Katie ;)**

**Imposter (Guest): Thank you! I'm so glad you like it! I'm sorry for the really bad update time. But yeah, vacations, and also HOMEWORK IS A B*TCH. I'm like 200% sure that my math teacher is a harpy. But anyways, enjoy!**

**Dedication:**** This is dedicated to **_**OfficialMariaK**_** for her birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BESTIE! She is amazing and you should check out her stories! Love you Maria!**

**Disclaimer:**

**Wave: Ok, ummm… Willow? Would you please do the honors?**

**Willow: Sure! Wave doesn't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, or Katie, or Travis, or anything you may recognize from the books. However she owns the plot, me, Juliet, and my BFF Ashlyn. Enjoy!**

_You like him._

_Nope._

_You've liked him since you first came to camp! You just started denying it because he started pranking you! _

_No._

_Come on! He's funny, sweet, adorable, and even though he can be immature and his pranks are annoying, he was really caring when you had that nightmare! Not anyone would do that for you. Have you noticed he tucked you in when you fell asleep on him last night?_

_Wait, he did?_

_Yes! And not to mention, he's very handsome. His hair looks soft, his blue eyes are beautiful, and he's quite muscular. He carried you back to your cabin for Demeter's sake!_

_I don't -_

_Yes, you do!_

_No!_

_Puh-lease!_

_Nuh-uh. Not a chance._

_Yes! Yeees! _

"Shut up," Katie mumbled.

Willow stared at her, surprised. "Excuse me?"

Katie blushed. "Sorry. I was… talking to myself."

Willow smiled and looked at her curiously. "What about?"

Katie blushed again. At 15, her sister Willow was just a bit younger than her. With shoulder length dark brown curls and soft brown eyes, she was as sweet as a spring breeze. At the moment, both girls were in the strawberry fields, giving the plants the water they needed. Katie loved working in the soil, and Willow was very pleasant company.

_Admit it._

_Never._

_Do it!_

_Nope. Not gonna._

_DO. IT._

_Urgh. Fine._

"Travis," Katie mumbled.

Willow's smile grew. "You like him?"

"I… Seems like I do," Katie sighed, defeated.

"What's so bad about that?" Willow laughed.

"Have you seen how he pranks me? I doubt he likes me back," Katie complained.

Willow only grinned. "I wouldn't worry if I were you."

"What would you know about it?"

"WIIILLOOOW!" a voice shouted.

Willow smiled. "Over here, Ash!" she shouted back as her best friend, Ashlyn, came into view. Ashlyn was a daughter of Athena the same age as Willow with waist-length light chestnut hair that she always kept in a braid, deep emerald eyes, and a kind smile. She was the only daughter of Athena who didn't have grey eyes, and it seemed that she was also the only one who was a bit mischievous as well, although she was freakishly smart.

"Hey Willow, Katie!" she smiled at both of them and turned towards Willow. "Whatcha doing?"

Willow grinned. "We were just talking about how Katie likes Tra-" she was stopped by Katie who hurriedly put her hand over her sister's mouth.

"Nothing, nothing!" she attempted to look innocent.

But Ashlyn had heard enough. She smiled. "I've got really big news! Number One: Willow, you got mail! Chiron sent me to get you, 'cause you got a letter from your dad! Number Two is… never mind." she looked at Katie.

"What?" the girl asked, confused.

Willow stood up.

"Whatever it is, I have to go get my letter. I'll be back later, Katie!"

"Okay," Katie answered. "See you soon!"

The girls ran out of the strawberry fields, leaving Katie alone with her thoughts and wondering what the important and delightful news Ashlyn had talked about were.

* * *

When they were clear of the strawberry fields, Ashlyn turned to Willow.

"So Katie likes Travis?"

Willow nodded excitedly. Ashlyn laughed. "That's funny!"

"Why?"

"I talked to Travis this morning and-"

_(Flashback)_

_Ashlyn walked over to the Hermes cabin, opened the door, and was met with the sight of Travis shirtless, trying to find a spare tee-shirt. The one he held in his hands was peppered with holes. Strange._

"_Hey Trav!" she said happily._

_Travis turned around grinning. "Hey Ash! Enjoying the show?"_

_Ashlyn smirked. "Trav, I'm your best friend; I've already seen you in a bathing suit. Calm your raging hormones." She paused and looked at the shirt in his hand. "What happened at the wall? You're supposed to have passed the 'getting-hit-by-lava' level."_

"_I was… distracted." He answered._

_To the son of Hermes, lying was like a second language; but it always unsettled him when the daughter of Athena's emerald eyes searched his own blue ones for answers. He found it very hard to lie to her._

"_By what?" Ashlyn asked, amused._

"_Ummm…"_

_She stared at him with a curious spark in her eyes._

"_Katie," he finally grumbled._

_Ashlyn raised her eyebrows._

"_She… kinda kissed my cheek."_

"_You like her, don't you?"_

_Travis knew he would have to tell someone at one point. The truth was that he'd had eyes on her since she had come to camp, a year after him. He loved her personality: she was so calm, caring, so sweet and patient, even with the Ares kids, even with HIM! He loved the way she didn't care about her appearance, or if her clothes had dirt on them; and the way she worked with her plants, tending to each and every one of them, even singing to them. She had such a beautiful voice, the plants always seemed to bloom and grow under her touch. _

_Travis also loved her long brown hair that she always kept in a ponytail – except when she slept; he'd seen it the night before. He loved her pink lips, and all the freckles splashed on her nose. And her eyes. Travis loved her soft green eyes: they held so much kindness in them. Whenever she looked at him with those eyes, he wanted to melt. She was beautiful. He looked up at Ashlyn who was still standing there, looking at him expectantly._

"_Yeah. I do." he told her._

_She smiled. "I knew there was a reason to why you pranked her so much."_

_He winced. "Was it THAT easy to see?"_

"_Not really, but hey, daughter of Athena, remember? I read people."_

"_Shouldn't you rather be Aphrodite, Ash?" he teased._

_Ashlyn grimaced and Travis laughed._

"_Shut up, Lover Boy. I'm not the one who has a crush. I never will. Besides, you know what I think of falling in love. Good for others, not me."_

_(End Flashback)_

They arrived in front of the Big House, climbed up the steps of the front porch and walked inside. They were met with the sight of Mr. D and Chiron playing pinochle. Chiron looked up at them and smiled.

"There you are, child."

Willow smiled and bowed her head. Mr. D tossed a snausage to Seymour the leopard with a bored roll of his eyes as Chiron stood up and handed Willow a letter.

"It came this morning; I believe it is from your father."

She smiled and took the letter, thanked him, and dragged Ashlyn outside. As soon as they were out of earshot, Ashlyn's hyperactivity kicked in and she jumped up and down, chanting:

"Open it! Open it! Open iiit!"

Willow grinned and looked at her expectantly. Ashlyn lifted her camp shirt a bit to reveal an array of knives hung at her belt. She picked the smallest one and gave it to Willow, who opened the envelope in a swift movement and handed the knife back to Ashlyn. She unfolded the letter and began to read.

**Yeah... (Sorry to those who have been reading, this is not the new chapter)**

**I guess this is ok. Thanks again to all those who reviews, and I will try my best to update much faster this time. Thank you guys for your patience ^-^ Feel free to follow/favorite and review**

**Yours in demigodishness,**

**Wave ~**


	4. Chapter 4: A letter and a happy ending

**Hey you guys! I know I took such a long time but here it is, the final chapter!**

**I would like to thank: **

**chcedcharry, lindsey981092, Talk-Becky-Talk, pjohooloverfreak14, I Am Number Eight, jmp111jazz1 for Favoriting and chcedcharry, 1, Demetra44, lindsey981092, pjohooloverfreak14, I Am Number Eight jmp111jazz1, Tamealio for following**

**lindsey981092: I know! I love these guys sooo much! I ARGO II them too!**

**Now… The chapter!**

The heat seemed to radiate in waves off the ground, and Katie felt the sun beating down on her neck: she stepped back to admire the strawberry fields: her work was done here, the plants had been water and the red fruits would soon be ripe. She picked up her gardening tools, turned around, and… crashed into Ashlyn.

"Oh my gods, I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I… Are you okay, Ash?" Ashlyn was bent over, her hands on her knees, her breathing ragged and her face red. When she looked up at Katie, her face was wearing and expression of great distress.

"It's Willow," she managed to gasp. Katie froze. "Her dad… sent her a… letter… and it said… here, actually… read it," she thrust the letter into Katie's hands, and Katie read out loud:

"_My dear Willow, I was disappointed that you couldn't come for my wedding, but I'm guessing you are busy." _Katie paused. From what Willow had told her, she hadn't seen her dad in two years since she had become a year-rounder.

"Willow's dad remarried?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ashlyn answered, "with their neighbor since she was 10, the Dempsey family. They're mortals; and Willow was supposed to leave camp for the rest of the summer to go to the wedding and stay with her dad until the end of the vacations. She had planned to leave on the day before the Battle of the Labyrinth happened, but she decided, I quote, that she 'couldn't leave us like that' so she stayed."

Katie nodded. "_As you know, my wife (who by the way didn't change her last name or her kids') is a MORTAL. So are her children: Ray, Robin (the twins, who are your age), and Rose (who is twelve). I know this is just a reminder, but since you haven't seen them in two years, I thought a reminder might be needed. There is one thing I haven't told you though: they aren't (and I don't want them to be) aware of your condition." _Katie paused, irritated. "What does he mean, 'condition'? It's not like we chose this life! It's kind of his fault, who does he think he is to treat this like some… illness?"

Ashlyn nodded, "I know. But Willow told me she was used to it, so…"

Katie turned back to the letter: "_I have told them you were in a boarding school in New York (which is not really lying, seeing as we are in Pennsylvania and you are in New York) and that this summer, the school took you on a trip to France that had been planned since the beginning of the year and was non-refundable. If you can please stick to this, that would be best. So I'm asking that, contrarily to what was planned, you don't come home this summer so as not to endanger them. I'll keep in touch to tell you whether I think it's safe for you to come this winter. Until then, enjoy your summer and have fun. Love from, Dad. _Oh my gods… Oh no…"

"She was so excited to see her dad, and Robbie too. Now with the battle coming up…" Ashlyn trailed off somberly. "Anyways, point is: Willow ran off before I could catch her, into the woods. And as fast as I am, I can't cover the whole forest by myself before nightfall. I don't want anything to happen to her, or for the camp to make a whole deal, 'cuz she hates attention, but I can't leave her alone like that. So I thought I'd ask you if you would help."

"Of course I will!"

"Thought so. Ok, here's the plan for now: me in front of Zeus' fist in 5 minutes, and I'll go get Loverboy." And with that, she ran off.

"Get who?" Katie asked no one in particular. Perplexed, she set off quickly for the forest.

She reached Zeus' fist a few minutes later, and as she was starting to call for Ashlyn, she heard two pairs of quick footsteps, and a voice, complaining, that she'd recognize anywhere. Travis.

_What's __he__ doing here? _She thought as the pair came into view and stopped at the foot of the boulders. Katie jumped down to meet them, and Travis looked at her, surprised.

"Katie-Cat?" he asked as she scowled at the nickname. He turned to Ashlyn. "Did you drag her here without an explanation too? Why is she here? What's going on, Ash?"

Ashlyn's whole body was lightly shaking as stress mixed with her strong hyperactivity and her urge to go look for her friend. She took a deep breath and handed Travis the letter, which he took with a bewildered look on his face. Katie watched his eyes widen and his face suddenly harden as he scanned the letter.

"No way," he stated through clenched teeth, "but Ash, what does that have to do with me? With Katie?"

"After she read the letter, she handed it to me wordlessly, and by the time I'd read it, she'd run off to the forest. So now, the main thing is that we need to find her. Got it? So here's the plan: Katie, you search the whole left side of the stream, and Trav, the right side. I'll check every place we've been, I remember them all (contrarily to you, Trav). Alright?"

Katie and Travis looked at each other and nodded.

"Perfect then. Meet back here right after sunset, and if you find her, you yell my name," Ashlyn said. She jumped over a bush and set off at a quick pace.

Travis glanced at Katie, and then headed for the stream, unaware of her eyes on him until he was out of sight and she delved forward, deeper into the forest.

* * *

Travis was definitely feeling very angry. The words Willow's dad had written reverberated inside his head, repeating the same thing over and over. _Condition. Disappointed. Endanger. _ He hated them. He'd heard them all before, and he really didn't think anyone deserved to hear them, much less Willow who was probably one of the sweetest people he'd ever met. Who did her dad think he was?

Since the wedding invitation had arrived, Willow had been extatic, making plans to see her dad, to see her old friends, spend time with ray and Robbie, especially Robbie… Then there had been the battle. She'd helped save camp, saved her sister, nearly died, watched others die, and what thanks did she get? 'Stay away from us, you are a danger'. Yeah, right. Her dad would pay, he promised.

As he continued searching high and low, he let his thoughts wander to Katie. Things between them had changed so fast since the previous night, and he'd realized that being kind to her had gotten her attention so much better than pranking. Huh. He'd wasted a lot of time. He was pretty sure now that she liked him back, but knowing her he'd never know for sure unless he himself made a move. _I'll take the next opportunity, _he thought. _If it ever comes._

But for now, the minutes continued ticking by. They had to find Willow, and fast.

* * *

Katie was trying not to panic. Still no trace of her sister, and Katie herself was weaponless. She hadn't really thought she'd go so far into the woods, but as time streched on and she found or heard nothing, panic threatened to overwhelm her. And to quell that panic, she forced herself to think happy thoughts.

_Travis._

No, not-

_Yes. He's __**happier**__ thoughts, isn't he?_

Oh, fine!

So. Travis. Right. Since when did he care so much about Willow? She was Ashlyn's best friend, and Ashlyn was his best friend, but- Well, now that she tought of it, the three were very often together. It made sense for him to worry.

Yeah, he worries alright. What's that supposed to mean? Oh, nothing. Just that he doesn't prank her. Yes he does! He pranks our whole cabin, her included! Wait a minute. Doesn't she somehow always end up unscathed? Yeah-huh. He- Oh shut up, already! She's my sister! I'm not jealous of my sister! Who said anything about jealous?

Katie groaned in frustration. This boy was going to drive her crazy. If he hadn't already. She shifted her thoughts back to Willow. Concentrate on the search. Not Travis and his warm, strong embrace and- No! Willow. Find her. Find Willow, before something bad happens

* * *

Ashlyn was starting to get scared. She'd been searching for a few hours already and the sun was very low. She searched the trees, the caves, anywhere they had stayed for a prolonged amount of time. Nothing. She was starting to get desperate. Not that Willow would never come back. She probably would, once she'd calmed down. She twisted her ring nervously. Willow she was weaponless, and the forest wasn't the safest place in camp. Besides, it was impossible for Ashlyn to leave Willow to cry alone after an event like that. That's what friends were supposed to do, comfort each other. And the gods knew how much both girls had needed the support of each other. So Ashlyn wasn't about to let her friend down. But in the meantime, she was worried. She'd almost run out of places to look. That's when the shout was heard.

"ASHLYN!" It was Travis, near her left. Her heart skipped a beat and she sprinted towards his voice, in her haste tripping over bushes and roots, until she finally reached a small clearing, with a huge rock in the middle. She'd never been here, and her amazed eyes traced the boulder's curves and edges. It seemed nearly unclimbable. And yet, at the very top of the rock sat Willow.

At the sight of her friend, Ashlyn's reflexed kicked in, and she rushed to the bottom, pushing past Travis, instinctively finding hand and foot holds. Her whole mind was concentrated on the task, and she didn't respond to Travis' voice yelling for her to wait. In a matter of minutes she was at the top. Willow was now standing and was now turning towards her, tear tracks still on her face.

And Ashlyn, who usually thought things through, didn't even stop to think. In two steps she was in front of Willow, hugging her fiercely. She didn't want to let go.

* * *

Five minutes later, Katie arrived, red, out of breath, and wet from having fallen in the stream in her hurry to reach her sister. She found Travis sitting quietly at the foot of an enormous rock, at the top of which stood Willow and Ashlyn, although they were hugging so fiercely it seemed to Katie she no longer knew which girl was which. Relieved, she slowed down and approached Travis who had turned to look at her. His eyes seemed surprised as he took in her appearance. Her clothes had partially dried as she ran, but she noticed her hair had come loose somewhere during her search, and it was now messy and unkempt. She passed her hand through it, self-consciously, only to take out a twig and some leaves. Travis chuckled and she looked up at him, blushing. She reached the boulder and sat down in, tired.

"You found her." It was more of a statement than a question, but Travis nodded anyways.

"I was starting to lose faith," he said smiling. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, that… Well when I heard you I was on the edge of the river, trying to see inside this cave I found. You startled me, and I kind of… fell in."

"Kind of?" he asked, grinning.

"Okay, totally," she answered. He laughed outright. "But hey, I'm half dry now! Although I think I still have stuff in my hair"

"Just this," he said, reaching out and taking something off the top of her hair, only to present her with the hugest spider she had ever seen. Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to scream, until she noticed that the spider surprisingly lacked movement. She scowled at Travis, who was trying to hold in his laughter, and she shook her head sharply, showering him with drops of water.

"Hey!" he protested, and she giggled as he wiped to water from his face, "You're worse than Willow," he mumbled.

At the mention of her sister, she stood up sharply and turned around, only for Travis to grab her arm.

"Don't," he said. "She climbed up there for a reason. She'll accept Ashlyn, no, she needs Ashlyn, but we should just wait until they come down. As much as she loves us, I think it's best if we give her some time."

Katie nodded, frowning, then smiled and looked up at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Since when did you become so wise?"

"Hey! I have **always** been wise!" Katie scoffed, and he pouted.

And then unexpectedly, she hugged him. Her head only reached his shoulders, and after a moment's hesitation, he hugged her back.

"Thanks. Again," she sighed, not looking at him.

He chuckled, "Your welcome. Again."

"Why are you so nice?" she asked, looking quizzically up at him.

He stared at her, taken by surprise, and she blushed.

"Never mind, you're a very nice person," she mumbled, looking away.

She was so busy trying not to look at him, that she didn't see his face becoming closer until his lips touched hers.

She froze, suddenly unable to move, trying to remind herself to breathe. It was only when he pulled away that she reacted, closing her eyes and kissing him back with an eagerness that surprised them both. His eyes slid shut, and his hands tightened at her waist. Her hands, already around his neck, tangled themselves in his hair. It was even softer than she'd imagined. After a few moments, they both pulled away, gasping for air. They started at each other, him smiling blindingly and her still wide-eyed and surprised at her actions.

"I…" she stopped, looking for words.

"Not what you were expecting?" he asked, grinning.

She shook her head bewildered, a smile reaching tentatively at the corners of her mouth.

"Enjoyed it?" He smirked.

She grinned. "I'm gonna wipe that smirk off your face," she said as she put her hands around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss, to which he complied.

A voice spoke up from a few meters away, "Are we disturbing you guys?"

They pulled apart to see Ashlyn and Willow grinning at them and Katie blushed, letting go of him while he kept an arm around her. Willow stepped forward and Katie immediately pulled her in for a hug.

"Don't ever do that again please, you had me worried!" Katie said as she squeezed her sister.

"Doesn't look like it," Willow answered, smiling. Katie blushed and hit her playfully.

Willow looked at Travis, raising an eyebrow. "What, no kiss for me?" she teased.

He smiled and hugged her, "Nah, that's just for Katie-Cat." Katie blushed even harder.

"Let's just go," she mumbled.

The others laughed, and the four of them set off, back to camp.

When they were almost out of the forest, Travis pulled her back slightly as Ashlyn and Willow continued forward.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"Just wanted to ask you something," he said. She looked at him, waiting to hear his question.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked her. She smiled and stood on her tiptoes to give him a chaste kiss.

"Does that answer your question?" she inquired with a smile as a grin spread across his features.

"Maybe. I'd need a verbal answer though," he teased.

"Of course I will be. You don't know how long I've been waiting for you to ask that," she told him.

"I think I do."

"Come on, lovebirds!" yelled Ashlyn in the distance, "We're gonna be late for dinner!"

Katie giggled and Travis grabbed her hand, pulling her back towards camp.

Tada! Finally done! You guys have nooo idea how much I've worked on this. It had to be just perfect, and I'm pretty satisfied with the result. But as always I'd really appreciate it if you could give me your feedback on my story. I really enjoyed working on it, I love Tratie, and I really do hope I did them justice. Feel free to favorite if you don't have time to review, I just want to know if you liked it.

I also need your opinion: my friend has been telling me to write Willow and Ashlyn's stories, should I?

Also please feel free to send me requests for one-shots, drabbles, or anything. The list of my fandoms is on my profile, just add Twilight to it.

Thank you so much for your support guys, and I hope to hear from you soon!

Love ya'll

~Wave~


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